What “Lab Tested” Should Mean to a Consumer

The minimum you should expect

The claim itself is assessed in “lab tested” and “third-party tested” claims; this guide is about what you should expect to receive.

Reading the results

Compare metals with GB maximum levels for supplements: lead 3.0, cadmium 1.0 and mercury 0.1 mg/kg as sold.^[2] There is no GB maximum for total arsenic in supplements, so arsenic results are best read alongside whether inorganic arsenic was measured; see arsenic in shilajit. Watch the units: mg/kg and per-serving figures can’t be compared directly; see units on lab reports and reading a COA line by line.

A real report, read briefly

The AGROLAB LUFA report for Nature Elixirs batch SJ2509 (sample 765188, report dated 6 October 2025) shows what a full answer looks like. It names an accredited laboratory, identifies the batch, records a 300 g sample, and covers metals, aflatoxins, PAHs, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, pesticides and microbiology.^[3] The report gives total arsenic as 0.98 mg/kg in the results table and 0.70 mg/kg in the remarks, with 55% measurement uncertainty stated; Nature Elixirs’ owner and safety team confirmed to our editorial team that these are successive results: the batch was processed further to reduce arsenic and then retested. Nature Elixirs also states future testing will include inorganic arsenic.^[3][4] Nature Elixirs is a brand evaluated by Best Shilajit UK. Read our evaluation to see the evidence and documentation we reviewed. Our full reading is in the Nature Elixirs evaluation.

How to ask for it

1. Find your batch numberOn the jar or box.
2. Email the brandAsk for the COA for that batch; use our template.
3. Name the testsMetals and microbiology at least.
4. Check the replyUse the COA checklist.

What isn’t enough

• A logo saying “lab tested”With no report behind it.
• A fulvic acid result onlyComposition, not safety.
• “Pass” or “complies” with no numbersYou can’t judge the results.
• A report with no batch numberIt can’t be linked to your jar; see batch-specific vs generic COAs.

The bottom line

“Lab tested” should always lead to a batch-specific report you can read: a named, accredited laboratory, a matching batch number, metals and microbiology with units, and a date that covers stock on sale. With that in hand, you can judge a product for yourself. Without it, the claim is only a phrase on a label.

Tests that add confidence beyond the minimum

Beyond metals and microbiology, some reports include mycotoxins such as aflatoxins, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pyrrolizidine alkaloids and pesticide residues. None of these is unusual to find on a thorough report, and each answers a different question about how the material was produced and stored. A few brands also test thallium, which standard panels miss and which research has found in shilajit,^[5] or inorganic arsenic, the more toxicologically relevant form. A report with these extras isn’t mandatory, but it shows a brand testing beyond the minimum. See other contaminants.

What if the report is older than the jar?

A report dated well before your jar’s batch was produced can’t describe that batch. The batch number is the link that matters: a recent report for a different batch tells you about the brand’s practices, not your product. Ask whether a report exists for your batch, and check the dates on the report against the date mark on the jar. See batch numbers and testing dates.

How “lab tested” relates to “third-party tested”

“Lab tested” doesn’t say whose laboratory. “Third-party tested” adds that the laboratory is independent of the brand. Both should lead to the same thing: a batch-specific report you can read. See what “third-party tested” should mean.

Reading results where no GB limit exists

For some contaminants, such as total arsenic in supplements, there is no specific GB maximum level. That doesn’t make the result unimportant; it means the figure needs context, such as whether inorganic arsenic was measured and how the result compares with other products. A thorough brand explains this rather than leaving the number unexplained.

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